New program puts at-risk youth on college path.

A new program called CITIZEN U, funded by a five-year, $660,000 grant, supports at-risk youth to become active citizens in their communities, graduate from high school, and go on to college. The program, a joint effort of Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) and the College of Human Ecology funded by the Children, Youth, and Families at Risk Program at the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, is structured to mirror a university setting, where teens enroll in weekly afterschool lessons taught by volunteers from CCE, community agencies, and local businesses. CITIZEN U (short for both "CITIZEN YOU" and "CITIZEN University") also aims to build the capacity of local partners to successfully conduct and sustain youth community action programs and make lasting contributions to high-need communities in Binghamton and Rochester, N.Y.

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